NYC NOW - November 8, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: November 8, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Democrat Yusef Salaam has won a seat on the New York City Council, decades after he was wrongly imprisoned as a 15-year-old in an infamous rape case. Also, Democrat Justin Brannan is poised to remain in the New York City Council in South Brooklyn. Plus, New Jersey Democrats maintain the majority of seats in both houses of the state Legislature.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Wednesday, November 8th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Youssef Salam has won a seat on the New York City Council decades after he was wrongly imprisoned as a 15-year-old in an infamous rape case. Salam, a Democrat, will represent Central Harlem on the City Council after running unopposed for the seat.

He and four other black and Latino youth were convicted in a highly publicized case for the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salon was in prison for almost seven years before DNA evidence and another man's confession in 2002 led to the overturning of their convictions. Democrat Justin Brennan is poised to remain in the New York City Council in his newly drawn district in South Brooklyn. He and Republican, Ari Kagan, squared off to represent the 47th district.

Both candidates were incumbent. Brandon says it doesn't really matter what parties he's from. What matters is that he's going to represent his district. Fioro LaGuardia is my hero. He famously said there's no Democrat or Republican way to pick up the garbage. That's my model. That's what I live by. Of course I'm a proud Democrat.

I think most people know that if you come to me for help, I'm going to help you. No questions asked. That's my job. Kagan switched to the Republican Party last year after the new maps put both he and Brennan in the same district. The new South Brooklyn District includes Bay Ridge and Coney Island. New Jersey Democrats are holding on to their majorities in both houses of the state legislature, so it appears, and appear to increase their lead in the assembly.

WNYC's Nancy Solomon explains. Republican candidates hammered Democrats for protecting transgender students and investing in offshore windmills, but they failed to pick up a significant number of seats. Ed Durr, the conservative Republican trucker who won a Senate seat two years ago, lost his re-election. Senator Vin Gopal, the Jersey Shore Democrat, considered most at risk of losing a seat, won convincingly. New Jersey Republicans continue to struggle with conservative candidates who win primaries, but do poorly in the general election. Democratic turnout was also helped by the use of mail-in ballots, a strategy that Republicans have largely.

rejected. 46 and clear right now, increasing clouds today and 54 high, breezy as well, and then tomorrow's slim chance of rain, mostly cloudy, back up to the mid-60s as we ride that roller coaster, and then here we go, back downhill again on Friday in the mid-50s. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon.